EDUN, the small but strong fashion label, founded in 2005 by Ali Hewson and her husband, Bono, has just announced the exciting collaboration with Diesel on a denim line, Diesel+EDUN. Sourcing cotton from farmers of the Conservation Cotton Initiative in Uganda, the combine efforts of Diesel+EDUN is “not charity, just (awesome) work,” says Ali Hewson of EDUN. 100% grown and sown in Africa, the line will be available February 2013 in Diesel stores, and represents a balance between virtue and desire.
Bono, Ali Hewson and Renzo Rosso, on a Conservation Cotton Initiative farm in Uganda.
The spark for this fusion of knowledge came during a trip to a music festival deep in the sand dunes of Mali, as Renzo Rosso, Diesel founder, and Ali Hewson and Bono, of EDUN–friends for over 10 years–were immersed in the “sexy, noisy, vibrant” lifestyle inherent to the African continent.
EDUN, where all clothes are made and sourced in Africa, runs on four basic values: respect for consumers, respect for the person who made the clothes, respect for the community in which it was made, and respect for the materials used. Through the collaboration with the creative energy of Diesel, these values are pushed a step further. Diesel+EDUN has been such a success that the partnership has already started on a second collection, and is seeking other sustainable cotton sources to fill the demand.
“We are a tiny company with big ambitions — one of which was to persuade some of the fashion heavyweights to take more interest in this part of the world,” she said. “The business environment is getting easier in many places, and the more people and companies that show interest, the quicker that will change,” says Ali Hewson.